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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Post Falls ballplayer wins Pitch Hit and Run contest

Kodie Kolden, of Post Falls, recently won the Idaho Aquafina Pitch Hit and Run 9/10 Sectional held in Hayden.
The Spokesman-Review

Kodie Kolden, a Post Falls baseball player, recently competed in and won the Idaho Aquafina Pitch Hit and Run 9/10-year-olds Sectional, held in Hayden. After four years of trying to reach his goal, Kolden qualified to compete at the Aquafina Pitch Hit and Run Mariners Team Championship, held on June 20 at Safeco Field.

To qualify and be able to compete in Seattle, Kolden’s overall score was compared to other contestants in his age group throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia. Participants were judged on pitching for accuracy, hitting for distance and accuracy, and a timed run over 160 feet including tagging third base and touching home plate. Each event was assigned a point value based on number of pitches thrown for strikes, net length of the hit, and quickness of the run. The three scores were then combined to determine the total overall score.

For Kolden, walking into Safeco Field was a dream come true. As part of the competition, he was taken on to the field, along with the other participants and introduced to local fans. All competitors had the opportunity to meet the Mariners’ Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez and receive an autograph by the players before the Mariners vs. Reds game.

The competition began after the game and Kolden, after years of hard work, received first place in the 9/10 boys division. Kolden’s overall score will not take him to the 2010 All Star Championship, but he will try again next year.

Approximately 600,000 kids participate in Aquafina’s Pitch Hit and Run, starting out in local competitions.

For more information visit http://mlb.mlb.com/ mlb/kids/mlb_pitch_hit_ run.jsp.